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You are not getting very sleepy

By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published January 4, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Douglas R. Clifford] Vicki Hutto of Wesley Chapel sinks into a hypnosis session Wednesday in hypnotist Debbie Lane's office in Palm Harbor.

PALM HARBOR - Forget the swinging pendulum, the "you are getting very sleepy" mantra and all that quacking like a duck business.

In fact, toss out pretty much everything you think you know about hypnosis.

Because the truth is just about as cliche as it gets - hypnosis is about training your mind to think positive.

With a little help, of course.

"You're in control the whole time," said Debbie Lane, a certified hypnotist in Palm Harbor. "It's really about being empowered."

Today marks the third annual World Hypnotism Day. It's a chance for professionals such as Lane to educate the public about hypnosis and hopefully do some myth busting at the same time.

The day "is our yearly event showcasing ... that which has been proven over thousands of years to be a successful approach for positive and healthy personal change," said Tom Nicoli, a hypnotist in Massachusetts who started the day of recognition.

It's not quite certain when or how hypnosis began. But industry types say mention of a "trancelike" state can be found as early as biblical times.

Legitimacy among the medical community is sketchy at best. While some doctors suggest hypnosis as an alternative treatment, the American Medical Association says hypnosis should be conducted only by a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Perhaps what is more certain is that hypnosis physiologically occurs when a person is somewhere between being awake and asleep. It's in this gray area in which the subconscious mind is more susceptible to suggestion, Lane said.

Case in point: When someone seeking smoking cessation is put under hypnosis, the person is told to seek out something other than a cigarette when feeling stressed. A deep breath or a cool clear drink is what Lane suggests. The hope is that after coming out of hypnosis, the person's subconscious mind will remember that suggestion.

The same applies to weight loss and test taking, both issues that Lane deals with a lot in the confines of her small office on Alt. U.S. 19. These days, hypnosis is used for everything from phobias to golf.

Pretty much anyone can be hypnotized, though there are those who are more susceptible than others, Lane said. Willingness is just about the only requirement.

"You've got to be willing, comfortable and ready to make the changes," said Lane, a former vice president for a child care company, who began practicing hypnosis in 2002 after earning certification from the Nature Life Institute in Holiday.

Hypnosis seminar

Oak Trail Books, 1219 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor, is hosting a free workshop led by certified hypnotist Debbie Lane from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

For information about World Hypnotism Day, visit www. worldhypnotismday.com.

[Last modified January 3, 2007, 20:41:28]